Aria

Depending on the country of origin, the name Aria can either be female or male. There are different versions of its origin. In Europe it is considered female, in India it can be used for both boys and girls while in Arabic countries it’s a male name.

According to the first version, this name probably has Italian origin and is derived from “aria” (“air” in English, “l’air” in French, “el aire” in Spanish, “τον αέρα” in Greek), although it is obvious that the name Aria could appear in many European languages.

In this case the name Aria is translated as “airy” or “light”, which makes it related to the name Aelita both in its origin and meaning. The musical term “aria”, a musical piece for one voice, appeared in the same context.

In Spain there are two municipalities whose names are written differently in their native language. The first variant, Aria, was first mentioned in 1350, and the territory of northern Spain has never been called differently in its native Basque language. Philologists believe that this name is related to sand.

The second municipality is called Haria, and it’s located on the Canary Islands. Its name is related to the toponymy of this place. The area is mainly mountainous, with multiple miradoras (scenic viewpoints). It is known that aboriginals knew the Haria valley as Faria, so maybe this renaming was a derivative of the Arabic word “chafaris” meaning “source” or “water source”.

According to the second version, Aria is a female variant of the male name Arius of Greek origin. The name Arius is one of the forms of the name Ares originating from “ἀρά” (“ara”) and literally meaning “fight” or “misfortune, death”. The female form is usually translated in a similar way, “warlike” (Ares is a god of war).

There is also a third version of the name’s origin, which is related to the Aryan people (also called Indo-Aryan). That’s how they call themselves and they interpret this name as “the noblest”. There is also a version that it means “owner of the house” or “master”. If we consider an earlier period, it is possible that “Aryan” meant family ties between the tribes, which is “clan”, “family”, or “community” in the modern sense. That’s why the name Aria can stand for “related”, “relative”, “close to the family”, or “noble” and “aristocratic”.

The term “Aryan” is also found in Buddhist and Hindu literature, where it means “noble” and “saint”. In India the name Aria can be both male and female. There are some variations of the name, such as Arian and Ariana.

The following names are related in meaning to the interpretation of the name Aria as “noble” and “aristocratic”: Alice, Adelaide, Aelita, Alana, Camilla, Alina, Ethel, Alya, Patricia, Eugenia, Erika, Adele, and Adelina.

In the VI-IV centuries BC there was a province called Aria (Areia) on the territory of the ancient Achaemenid Empire (the First Persian Empire), also known as the Empire of the Aryans. Later, Alexander the Great made Aria and other regions a part of the Macedonian Empire. Now it is the territory of present-day Afghanistan.

The province got its name from the river Hari (Herat). In Turkmenistan it is known as the Tedzhen river and passes not far from the city of the same name. Ancient Greeks knew it as Arius while in Latin it was called Tarius. The river is full-flowing, so its name can be interpreted as “rich” and “fertile”. In this context, the name Aria means “rich”, “abundant”, and “wet nurse”. And the name Aria is also used by descendants of the Persians.

The following female names are related to Aria in this meaning: Maya, Taisia, Daria, Henrietta, Leta, and Odetta.

In Hebrew, the word “aryeh” or “arieh” means lioness. There is a male name Arie which literally means “lion”. It is likely that the name Aria appeared in modern times as a female version of this name. If so, its meaning is close to the names Leona, Liona, Leonilla, and Leonel.

The name Aria is not really popular in Europe. People became interested in it when George R.R Martin called one of the characters of his well-known bestseller “The Game of Thrones” Arya. In Sanscrit it’s written as “ārya” and is translated as “noble”. In 2018 the name got to the 19th position in the top list of the most popular female names in the USA, where it is considered a very trendy and interesting name now.

The name Aria is also a hypocoristic to many other names: Ariadne, Arianda, Ariana, and others.

A girl with the name Aria is calm and even-tempered. She is rather secretive and distrustful of her emotions so she always keeps them under control. She tries to avoid bothering other people and prefers solving her problems on her own. Aria acts with concentration and determination, relying on her intuition.

This girl is strong-willed and accurate in her work, which allows her working faster and carrying out her plans. In fact, Aria prefers not to hurry, she makes decisions slowly thinking carefully about all the possibilities, which may hinder her social and professional achievements.

She doesn’t believe in luck, and she has an analytical mind. Aria is more of a sceptic and intellectual. Long classes are just right for her. This girl is of high moral character. She can be trusted, although sometimes she can be a bit harsh in communication.

In childhood Aria is as calm and secretive as an adult. She often hides in her ivory tower. It would be a good idea to inspire her to dynamic actions, to encourage her as much as possible, because little Aria is usually not very self-confident. It’s also important to help her develop her social and communication skills through participation in social events.

Aria really likes nature, peace and quiet, simplicity, animals and Earth, her home. She can become a follower of any theory or science that contributes to the development and well-being of the mankind. Her close friends should be more attentive in order to protect her from bad influence.

As for her personal life, this girl often finds it hard to make the first move and share her feelings with a person she likes. Aria prefers waiting for her chosen one to guess it. Her shyness and modesty has taught her to repress her emotions. Aria will always be faithful to the one she has chosen. She is thoughtful and reliable, she knows how to listen to other people. She becomes an excellent mother who is completely aware of the responsibility of this role.

She is interested in scientific, technical, or ecological professions, especially those related to the study of the Earth as a planet. She may suggest some far-sighted innovative designs that won’t be put to good use at once. In creative environment Aria often fulfils herself with frontier technologies.

Famous people named Aria

• Arija Elksne (1928 - 1984) – a Latvian poetess, was also a translator.
• Arija Bareikis (born in 1966) – an American actress.
• Arija Rimbeniece (born in 1942) – a Latvian basketball player.
• Arija Meikalisa (born in 1952) – a Latvian scholar, lawyer.
• Arya Dashiev (1938 - 2008) – a Soviet director, also a screenwriter, is an Honored Artist of Buryatia (Russia). He worked at the “Mosfilm”, at the oldest film studio in Europe.
• Arja Hannus (born in 1960) – a Swedish orienteer.
• Aryan Tari (born in 1999) – a Norwegian chess player, grandmaster (2016).
• Arjan Swinkels (born in 1984) – a Dutch soccer player.
• Arijan Ademi (born in 1991) – a Macedonian football player.
• Arijana Boras (born in 1976) – a Yugoslav and Bosnian skier, participant in three Olympics.
• Aria Johnson (born in 1979) – an American singer, songwriter, actress, and artist development expert who starred in NBC “Star Tomorrow” in 2007 for 13 episodes.
• Aria Curzon (born in 1987) – an American actress.
• Aria Clemente (born in 1995) – a Filipino singer and actress. Currently works as a contract artist.
• Aria Tesolin (born in 1993) – a Canadian singer (mezzo-soprano), performs in the genres - pop classics, classic crossover, songwriter and poet. Known for her opera vocals and genre that defies the original style of classically imbued pop music.
• Aria Wallace (born in 1996) – an American actress, country and soul songwriter.

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